The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) says President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must take action against three ministers and a high ranking official, who have not reported the net value of their assets to the antigraft body.
The individuals in question were Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Darwin Saleh and National Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman Gita Wirjawan, KPK deputy chairman M. Jasin told Detik.com news portal on Tuesday.
The deadline for them to report to the KPK was Tuesday. The 2002 KPK Law stipulates state officials have to file their asset reports within two months of taking office.
All four of the officials were inaugurated on Oct. 22.
The KPK had extended the deadline to Tuesday afternoon, but as of Tuesday evening, the officials had not complied.
“The President, as their direct superior, can issue them a warning before imposing administrative sanctions,” Jasin said.
“The KPK will continue to remind them to submit their reports,” he added.
Jasin said that appropriate sanctions were defined in the 1999 Anti corruption Law.
However, article 20 of the law, which contains the stipulation for sanctions, does not have any legally-binding administrative sanction that can be imposed on state officials failing to comply with their obligations to account for and report their total net value.
Jasin acknowledged the lack of the legally binding stipulation, but insisted that state officials could not take the law lightly, because the submission of the reports would go a long way to help prevent corruption and increase transparency.
“[As ministers, they] should have set a good example for the public.”
Jasin also said he believed the ministers wanted to comply with their obligations, but that their busy schedules did not allow them to do so.
“Therefore, they only need to contact us, and the KPK will assist them in filling out the state official wealth report form [LHKPN],” he said.
The first ministers to submit their asset reports were Agricultural Minister Suswono, Environmental Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta and State Administrative Reforms Minister Evert Ernest Mangindaan.
Other ministers then followed suit. The latest minister to disclose the total net value of his assets was Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Andi Mallarangeng.
Andi’s reported net value is Rp 16 billion (US$1.68 million).
Net asset value disclosure reports are still outstanding from several legislators as well.
The KPK says that currently, only 50 percent of the 560 House legislators have submitted reports.
Jasin’s fellow deputy chairman, Haryono Umar, said the KPK would wait for the ministers and legislators to submit their reports.
